Waiting for Superman

I have seen Waiting for Superman.

And you should too--because you ought to know what is happening in the public school system.  I wrote two reviews--my first impression was not that good because I wanted it to be exactly the message that I send too.

But after a week of work in the field, I have changed my mind and decided that this IS the message for now.

I can deal with part II once people fix this first set of problems.

Here is what the film brings up that you should consider:

1)  Tracking is devastating.  Tracking is the idea that if you come in with low scores as a 9th grader, you cannot take college prep classes.

2)  The teachers union may be keeping your children from having the best teacher possible.

3)  Children in high poverty areas are further handicapped by their schools, not helped.

4)  Children in high poverty areas do have parents who care about their education--they send kids to school and trust the school to be a source of hope for the future.

5)  There are people out there who know what to do to fix schools and you should hold your school accountable for those principles.

Here is a suggested step for each of those key points:

1) The first day your child enrolls in high school, make it clear to the counselor and principal that you are expecting that their courses will automatically make them eligible for a 4-year college.  Check in each year that they are getting those requirements met and if you don't know, ask the counselor.

2)  If your child has a teacher who is incredible who loses their job at the end of the year and is replaced by an another less passionate teacher due to budget cuts and union protection of tenured teachers, march down to your school board and make a statement loud and clear about your tax dollars going to a system that does not consider quality teaching a priority.

3)  Do not take it for granted that poor children stay poor because their behaviors at home and lack of expectations at home lead them to learn less at school.  If you live in a city with a poor school, stand up for the rights of the children whose parents do not understand the system.  The majority of poor parents do not want their children to end up in their same socio-economic station yet don't know how to get their children into a better school.  Vote for initiatives that support high quality teaching.

4)  Do a reality check-- has your child grown this year?  When you go to parent teacher conferences, and they show you student work, ask how your child has improved.  Do not take a simple sample of their work that looks on grade level as evidence that your child is learning, ask for a pre and post sample.  If they don't have one, ask for one in the next conference.

5)  Make sure you know where the school is spending money--what is their plan and does the money that they spend support the plan.

Okay and when all else fails, give me a call.  I might give you bad advice, but it will make me feel better.

School reform is what I do--and my fidelity to it does create a gap elsewhere, but it is ultimately is who I am.